Living with the Devil

by Amy Norman

In this triumphant memoir, Amy Norman tells how after five years of unspeakable torment, she packed up her children and escaped a life of violence. At sixteen, Amy fell into the wrong crowd after becoming involved with a man whose life was dominated by drugs. Within three years she had two children by him, had become uncontrollably hooked on drugs herself and was being horrifically beaten every single day of her life. She tried to leave numerous times but kept on returning after her boyfriend threatened to kill her, her children and her parents. Her searingly honest account of a deeply emotional and trying time gives a terrifying insight into why so many women find it hard to leave violent relationships. This book will leave you speechless at the depths of one woman's courage and triumph over trauma. It will provide hope to many out there, suffering at the hands of similar evils.

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Inbetween · Rating 2 out of 5]

I knew what I was going into when started reading this book. Chick lit (broadly speaking, since it's actually memoirs) you are supposed to read while commuting to work. I'm not in their target audience obviously, but after reading a heavy book on Hitler and Stalin's gross mass killings I just needed something light and silly. And boy, silly it was. I can be sympathetic towards women when they don't find it easy to disengage from a co-dependent relationship. I get that. I can even understand why they keep returning to their abusive and toxic relationships. It can be weakness, addiction, love, sometimes kids, lack of money, status, habits they cannot break, drugs, it can be many things. In our case she said it was fear but it did not make any sense whatsoever. She had found a safe haven, for the love of God! There was no need for her to go back. I don't judge her choices, no matter how ridiculous and self-destructive they were. I can relate to that. What I challenge is the lack of logic when describing things and the way she justifies her actions. That was a dealbreaker for me.

[Dymphna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, I know books of this genre are typically engineered to manipulate your emotions. But you learn from this book - you learn what some people, a small group, thankfully, can be. And you learn a little about resiliency.

I hope Amy is living without fear, totally, and that she is enjoying her new life.